Fraser
A classic Scottish surname, widely associated with the powerful Fraser clan and probably tied to a French place name or nickname.
The #1,358 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 11,893 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Fraser is traditionally treated as Scottish, but its deeper origin is uncertain. Many etymologists connect it with a French name, often linked to place-name forms or to French words such as one meaning a strawberry, though older scholarship does not settle the point firmly. In Scotland it became established as a hereditary surname and later as the name of a major clan.
History
Fraser is one of the best-known Scottish surnames, strongly associated with the Fraser clan and the family of Philorth/Saltoun. Nineteenth-century sources emphasize its long Scottish standing and even preserve a popular rhyme about a Fraser remaining in Philorth. The name is now found well beyond Scotland, especially in English-speaking countries through migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A traditional rhyme says, “As lang as there’s a cock in the North, there’ll be a Fraser in Philorth.”
From the historical record
“LIST OF ORIGINAL SUBSCRIBERS Aberdeen Public Library (G. M. Fraser, Esq., Librarian). C. W. Adams, Esq., Haileybury College, Hertford. C. H. Bellamy, Esq., 7, Rue de I'Epidene, Tourcoing.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)